Blog
Thank You(Tube)
A decade ago, it was unheard of to make a living from posting videos to YouTube. It was a hobby, a pastime, and just entertainment. The videos were chaotic, random, hilarious, and heartwarming; anyone could post something to share it with others. There was sheer...
A Complaint to the FTC
Dear FTC, I run a YouTube channel called 5MadMovieMakers for my full-time job. Recently YouTube set my video “Stepney Train Stunts” to “Made For Kids”, and I attempted six times to switch it back to “Not Made For Kids”. They rejected my appeal through their site...
Do Not Be Afraid
It has been said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Yet to be afraid of fear is still a fear, and so this maxim seems unhelpful in a circuitous way. Perhaps we need fear as humans; after all, we love to be scared in some ways. At...
The Paradox of Pretend in “Ready Player One”
Ready Player One is my favorite movie of 2018. I’ve seen it eight times now, over a year since its release. It’s directed by Steven Spielberg and based on the best-selling 2011 book by Ernest Cline. I love the film, but it is not without its critics, and it gets...
Roller Coasters that Don’t Do Everything
Ever since the rise of roller coasters in the early twentieth century, designers have worked to create rides that are taller, faster, and more intense than their predecessors. Rides today can climb over four hundred feet into the sky, turn riders upside-down fourteen...
Online Video Tips
The 5MadMovieMakers channel has been running for nearly seven years and has almost hit one hundred thousand subscribers on YouTube. Fifteen 5MMM videos have accumulated at least one million views. While these stats don’t put the channel at the top of the list, the...
What’s the Best Kind of Toy?
Last year I watched a short film entitled “Toccata for Toy Trains” which was made by the Eames family in the 1960s. The colorful film shows the journey of a toy train from city to city. The fun aspect of the film is in the use of cute three-dimensional objects. It...
New website!
Hello and welcome to the new 5 Mad Movie Makers website! Stay tuned to this blog page for more news, opinions and behind-the-scenes. Since most of my videos don't feature a whole lot of talking, this page will be the place to make up for that. I hope you enjoy the...